Harris Printing Becomes First Canadian Printer to Use Agfa's Chemistry-free System

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

Press release from the issuing company

Ridgefield Park, NJ – March 22, 2005 – Agfa announced today that Harris Printing has become the first customer in Canada to use :Azura, Agfa's ground-breaking chemistry-free plate technology. When considering a switch to CtP, Alan and Linda Harasymchuk's concern for quality and the environment led to the investment in Agfa's :Acento thermal platesetter running :Azura with :Sublima, Agfa's cross modulated (XM) screening technology. This system allows Harris Printing to offer their customers the highest print quality possible while helping to maintain the environment.
Founded nearly 20 years ago, Harris Printing, a mid-size printer with nine employees based in Winnipeg, has been successfully using Agfa imagesetters since the 1990s. After investigating :Azura technology last year, the Harasymchuks felt the time was right to invest in CtP, choosing the 4-up :Acento system. Within a short time, Harris Printing's new prepress operation was up and running. High-end customers are particularly pleased with the results achieved with the system combined with Agfa's :Sublima XM screening.
"We used 200 lpi :Sublima on a high-end fashion brochure with great results. The client was very pleased with the piece," said Alan Harasymchuk, co-owner of Harris Printing. "We make sure we use :Sublima in the right situations. We highlight it as an added benefit to Harris Printing and sell it as a premium. The :Azura system on our :Acento has been exceeding our expectations."
Since installing the :Azura chemistry-free system, Harris Printing's quality has increased, time on press has decreased and makereadies are faster, leading to a measurable increase in quality.
"We knew we had to make a change and we were keenly interested in Agfa's chemistry-free :Azura system," said Linda Harasymchuk, co-owner of Harris Printing. "It is the wave of the future. We're very interested in doing our part for the environment. It is especially pleasing that we no longer have to pack up all those drums of waste and send them out for processing, hoping they are being disposed of properly. With :Azura, there is a simple gumming step and that's it."
"Companies like Harris Printing are very eager to not only differentiate themselves and offer high-quality, but help the environment in significant ways," said Agfa's David Furman, senior marketing manager, CtP systems, North America. "With :Azura, tight parameters such as developer temperature, processing speed and conductivity are no longer an issue for printers. As a result, printers who use :Azura are finding they have fewer remakes, better consistency and reduced maintenance."